Preserving apparatus



(No Model.)

G. L. MERRILL. PRESERVING APPARATUS.

Patented Oct. 30, 1888.

"J22 0012 (or:

-UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

GAINS LEWIS MERRILL, oFsYnAoUsn'NE-W YORK.

PR ESERVING APPARATUS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 391,907, dated October 30, 1888;

' Application filed ,Julyli, 1888. Serial No. 279,048. (No model.) I

' object to receive the corn and juices and deliver the same to the chamber in which the material is cooked or treated.

Previous to my invention automatic feeders have been used which'consist, principally, of a 1 feed-hopper and a rotating agitating or feeding device which is arranged within the feed-hopper,and which is provided with driving mechanism above the teed-hopper.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of this class of automatic feeders and to render the same more convenient and satisfactory in their operation.

The invention consists of the improvements which will he hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved automatic Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the feeder. same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sect-ion in line a: m, Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

.A represents the 'snpportingframe of the machine; 13, the front portion of the cookingchamber, in which the material is cooked or treated, and through which it is moved by a screw or conveyer,.a, in a well-known manner.

B is the feed-chamber, secured to the front end of the cooking-chamber B and delivering the material to the same, forming, practically, a continuation of the cooking-chamber, and

closed at its front end, except where the shaft of theconveycr a passes through the same.

0 is the'feed-hopper, which is arranged above the feed-chamber B and on one side of the latter, and which receives the corn and juices to be treated. The feed-chamber B. is provided in its upper portion with an opening, b, around which is secured an upwardly-projecting collar, I), provided in its side with a set-screw, b".

D represents a lateral conduitconnecting the lower end/of the feed-hopper O with'the collar 1) on the feed-chamber B, and conducting the material from the fecd-hopper to the feed-chamber. This conduit is composed of a lower part, D, andan upper part, D. The

. lowerpart, D, has at one end a downwardlyprojecting collar, d, whichentcrs the collar b of the feed-chamber, and is secured therein by the set-screw b. The upper part, D, has at its opposite end an upwardly-projecting collar, d, inwhichthe lower endof the feed-hopper is secured by soldering or otherwise. The upper part, D, is secured on the lower .part, D, by lips e,-formed on the upper part, and set-screws c, bearing against said lips and attached to the lower part. This construction of the parts permits them to be readily separated when required to be cleaned.

f represents a steam-escape passage formed in the top of the lateral conduit D over the opening b in the feed-chamber, and through which the steam entering the feed-chamber esper.

g represents the vertical shaft of the stirring mechanism,which is arranged in the feedhopper, and which consists of a feed-screw, h, arranged partly in the lower portion of the feed-hopper and partly in the lateral condult D, and arms 75, secured to the shaft g above the feed-screw. r p v a j represents a wiper or arm secured to the shaft g'beloiir' the feed-screw, near the bottom of the lateral conduit 1), for accelerating the flow of the material through the lateral con-- duit. The hub of this wiper is made hollow on its under side and overhangs an upwardlyprojecting collar, 7'', formed on the bottom of the lateral conduit around the shaft g, whereby the liqnid is prevented from flowlng downwardly along the shaft through the opening 1n which the shaft is arranged. The upright shaft 9 extends downwardly on one side of the feedchamber B, and is driven at its lower end by bevel-wheels k L from a horizontal shaft, K,

which latter is journaled in an extension, L, of 100 the main frame. The horizontal shaft K is driven from the shaft of the conveyeraby sprocket-wheels m m and a drive chain orbelt, M. The shaft 9 is composed of two parts, which are connected by a coupling-sleeve, n,

75 capes freely before it can reach the feed-hop- 4 v o that th upper part, to which the stirrels are attached, can be lifted out of the feed-hopper when these parts are required tobe cleaned.

My improved construction of the stirrer mechanism leaves the top of the feed-hopper unobstructed, so that free access can he had to the same. It does not contain any journals over the feed-hopper from which oil can drip into the hopper, and it is simple and compact.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the chamber in which the material is treated, closed at its front end and provided in its top with an inlet-openmg forsuch material,of a feedhopper arranged above said chamber and on one side thereof, a conduit extending laterally from'the lower end of said hopper to the top inlet of said chamber, stirrers arranged in said hopper, an upright stirrer shaft extending downwardly through said hopper and said conduit on one side of said chamber, and driving-gear connected with said shaft below said conduit, substantially as set forth.

2 Thefiombination, with the chamber in mum the material is treated, of a feed-hopper and a conduit extending laterally from the hopper to said chamber, and provided with a steam-escape opening in its top on one side of the hopper, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the chamber in cured together,

which the material is treated, of a feed-hopper, a conduit extending laterally from the hopper to said chamber and composed of top and bot-- tom portions, and fastening-screws whereby the top and bottom portions are detaehably sesubstantially as set forth.

4. The combination, which the material is treated, of afeed'hopper, a conduit extending laterally from the hopper to said chamber, an upright shaft extending downwardly through said hopper and conduit, a feed-screw secured to said shaft in the mouth of the hopper, and awiper secured ,to said shaft above the bottom of the conduit, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the chamber in which the material is treated, of a feed-hopper, a conduit extending laterally from said hopper to the chamber, an upright shaft passing through the bottom of said conduit, an upwardly-projecting collar formed on said bottom around the shaft, and a wiper secured to the shaft above said collar, and having a hollow hub which overhangs the collar, substantially as set forth.

with the chamber in 55 Witness my hand this 20th day of J une, 1888.

G. LEWIS MERRILL. \"itnesscs:

W. Y. WALRATII, W. B. GERE.

cm t mm' Lette s rat r lie-391,907.

It' is hereby oertifieil that the name of the patentee in Letters Patent 310,391,907 October 30, 1888, for an improvemeht i n Preserving Apparatus, was erroneously written and printed Gains Lewis Merrill," vgvhereas said nam should have been writtsn am; prinfied Gains Lewis Harrell; and w s said Letters Patent should be read --with;this co'rrectidn thsrein that th saine may conform to the recbrd hf the case-in the sighed, oountersignd, and sealed this 13th day of Nhvember, A. .D. 1888.

[mm 1). L. HAWKINS, 4ssz'smnt Secretary of the Interior.

Counter-signed! A 'R. B.-Vnw

Acting C'ommisibnei of Patents. 

